The heart of Morehouse School of Medicine's (MSM) mission has been a commitment to excellence in education, clinical service and research since its inception. Our goal is to provide the people and the strategies that lend to the elimination of disparities in health. Based on the need to continue to develop capacity, the area of emphasis addressed in this application is the development of a perpetual resource to support and sustain minority health and health disparities research across Centers and Institutes at MSM. In the last two decades, MSM has established a basic framework for a strong research enterprise as noted by the creation of several Centers and Institutes to further develop research scientists and public health professionals who address discrete areas of health disparities research. Visionary leadership at MSM recognized the critical importance of initiating programs in primary care as well as the development of an effective educational and care delivery framework to serve the underserved in urban and rural areas. The continuation of the Research Endowment funding is a vitally important mechanism that will facilitate the institution's commitment to become a leader in eliminating health disparities and closing the health gap for minorities and the medically underserved. The proposed funds are vital to the attainment of the institution's goal of achieving national eminence as a leading institution in the area of health disparities research. MSM will leverage these endowment funds to secure additional funds to accomplish the program objectives which are: (1) recruiting faculty with interest in basic, bio-behavioral and clinical research of diseases disproportionately affecting minorities; (2) retaining and supporting the efforts of current faculty in continuing or expanding their portfolio to include health disparities research; (3) developing a research infrastructure that supports cutting edge technologies and skilled technical staff which will enhance fundable research applications.